Shower bath apparatus



May 26, 1936.

w. E. SLOAN SHOWER BATH APPARATUS Filed July 13, 1934 w; x T2 Patented May 26, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to shower bath apparatus and has for its object to provide a new and improved .device of this description. The invention has as a further object to provide a shower bath apparatus wherein the water from the shower nozzle is controlled from the floor. The invention has as a further object to provide a construction wherein there is a floor mat controller in such position that when the user steps on any part of it, water will be discharged from the shower nozzle. The invention has further objects which are more particularly pointed out in the accompanying description.

Referring now to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional view through the wall of the bath room showing one form of apparatus embodying the invention; I

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the mat and the valve.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

Referring now to the drawing, I have illustrated a construction where the shower bath nozzle I is connected with the pipe 2 supported on the wall 3. The pipe 2 is connnected by a pipe 4 to a valve 5 embedded or underneath the floor. This valve controls the supply of water to the nozzle I, the water entering the valve 5 through the pipe 6 connected with the supply pipe I. The valve 5 has a controlling part 8 which is connected with the valve proper and which projects above the surface 9 of the floor, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Placed on the floor above the valve is a mat controller I0 which, at or near its middle, engages the controlling part 8. This mat is a non-skid mat, being so roughened on its surface that when the user steps upon it he will not slide or skid. This may be done in any desirable manner, as for example by providing the surface of the mat with a series of corrugations I I, as clear- 1y shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The mat is provided with a series of metal segments I2 which are connected with the rubber mat in any desired manner, but preferably embedded therein as shown in Fig. 3. The lower part of the mat at the center is preferably recessed to receive the upper end of the controlling part B, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, so that the mat will be properly located and held in position and will not be slid out of position by the weight of the user when such user steps upon it. It will further be seen that this recess is of such size that the inner ends of the metal segments I2 overlap the top of the controlling part 8. These segments are separated at their edges so as to make the mat flexible and are preferably formed of r wedge-shaped pieces meeting at the center of the mat. By means of this construction, if the operator steps on the mat at any part he engages 5 one of the metal segments and the pressure which his body applies thereto causes the controlling part 8 of the valve to be moved downwardly so as to open the valve and open up the connection to cause the water to issue from the nozzle I.

Any suitable form of valve may be used. I prefer to use a construction wherein the controlling part 8 has a rocking connection with the valve stem I3, as shown in Fig. 3. In this construction the controlling part 8 is enlarged and 15 acts, as it were, as 'a push button and projects down into the casing I4 of the valve, resting loosely on the valve stem I3. There is provided a spring l5 which restores the valve to closed position. Connected with the valve stem I3 is a 20 piston I8 which serves to cushion the seating of the valve I6.

I have described in detail a particular construction embodying the invention, but it is of course evident that the parts may be varied in many particulars without departing from the spirit of the invention as embodied in the claims hereto appended, and I therefore do not limit myself to the particular construction shown.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

When anyone desires tonse the shower bath he steps upon the mat I0. He may step upon it at the edge or near the middle or at any other part thereof. Wherever he steps upon it, his weight, due to the reinforcing segments I2, causes the controlling part 8 to move downwardly, and this causes the valve stem I3 to move downwardly and opens the control valve I6 so that the water 40 is admitted to and passes out of the nozzle I and upon the party standing on the mat. It will be seen that by means of this construction the shower is automatically operated by the user, being automatically turned on and automatically 45 turned off by simply stepping on and off of the mat, and that the water is turned on regardless of what portion of the mat the user'steps upon. It will further be seen that the corrugated surface of the mat makes a non-skid construction so that the party using the bath will not slip.

I claim:

1. A shower bath apparatus comprising a valve which controls the water passing to the shower nozzle, a controlling part for said valve at the point where the valve is located, and a flexible non-metallic mat resting on said controlling part, said mathaving a series of separated stiffening members connected therewith, whereby when the user steps on the mat the valve is opened to discharge water from the nozzle.

2. A shower bath apparatus comprising a valve which controls the water passing to the shower nozzle, a controlling part for said valve at the point whereethe valve is located, a non-metallic mat're'sting on said controlling part, said mat having a series of separated stiffening members connected therewith, the periphery of said mat having only a frictional connection with the floor, andrmeans for preventing displacement of said mat with relation to said valve,

-whereby when the user steps on the mat the valve is opened to discharge water from the nozzle.

3. A shower bath apparatus comprising a valve which controls the water passing to the shower nozzle, acontrolling part for said valve projecting above the floor surface at the point where the valve is located, and a non-metallic mat resting on said controlling part, said mat having a series of separated stiffening members embedded therein, their inner ends projecting over said controlling part, whereby when the user steps on the,,mat the valve-is opened to discharge water from the nozzle.

4. A shower bath apparatus comprising a valve which controls the water passing to the shower nozzle, a controlling part for said valve at the point where the valve is located, and a nonmetallic mat resting on said controlling part, the mat being recessed at its bottom to receive the upper end of tlie controlling part of the valve,

' the periphery of said mat having only a frictional connection with the floor, said mat having a series of separated stiffening members embedded therein, their inner ends projecting over said controlling part, whereby when the user steps on the mat the valve is opened to discharge water from the nozzle.

5. A shower bath apparatus comprising a valve which controls the water passing to the shower nozzle, a controlling part for said valve at the 5 the stiffening members overlapping the controlling part, said ends being separate and free to move independently, whereby when the user steps on the mat the valve is opened to discharge water from the nozzle.

6. A shower bath apparatus comprising a valve which controls the water passing 'to the shower nozzle, a controlling part for said valve at the point where the valve is located, and a nonmetailic mat resting on said controlling part, said mat having a series of separated stiffening members connected therewith, the periphery of said mat having only a frictional connection with the floor, said mat having an upper nonskidding surface, whereby when the user steps on the mat the valve is opened to discharge water from thenozzle.

7, A shower bath apparatus comprising a valve which controls the water passing to the shower nozzle, an enlarged controlling part for said valve projecting above the floor surface at the point where the valve is located, and a nonmetallic mat resting on said enlarged controlling part, said mat having a series of separated stiflening members connected therewith, the periphery of said mat having only a frictional con- 35 nection with the floor, a recess in the bottom portion of said mat into which the upper end of said enlarged. controlling part is received, whereby when the user steps on the mat the valve is opened to discharge water from the 4 nozzle.

E. SLOAN. 

